Badgers and Roses Don't Mix

This was the second year that the Wisconsin Badgers rallied and made it to the Rose Bowl.  One of the super elite bowl games where young boys dream of playing on the field when they're older.  I learned that it is the oldest college bowl game.  Wikipedia called it "the granddaddy of them all."  Teams have been winning and losing in Pasadena since 1902.  I tried my hardest to get me and my husband to the game.  But between my new job, zero vacation time, and no extra spending money we had to watch the game from our own 50" TV (there are worse things, right?).  This was just not the year of the Badgers.  They couldn't cut it last year and they certainly couldn't hold on to it this year.  The score was unbelievable.  This was the highest scoring first half of any Rose Bowl... EVER. Final score...45-38 Oregon over Wisco.  This means I am living with a sad, depressed, angry, livid, and distraught husband.  The first thing he did when the game ended was take off his brand new Wisconsin Badger shirt, throw it on the ground, declare it a piece of garbage and needed to be burned.  I offered up that he could wear it in the off-season.  He scoffed at me like I was an idiot because the shirt has the years 2011 and 2012 written on it.  He didn't want to remind others (and himself) that the Badgers lost two years in a row.  So goodbye brand new Badger red t-shirt.  It's obviously your fault Russell Wilson just couldn't get 'er done.  Might as well get rid of it now, we don't need it jinxing the Packers chances at the Super Bowl!

Happy Holidays to Everyone!

Merry Christmas!  My last post was months and months ago.  I started a new job which meant no posting and no photography.  Don't worry, I still had plenty of Packers Nation to enjoy and it was brilliant until they lost to Kansas City.  My birthday was last weekend and my beautiful parents gave me a Nikon SB-700 flash and a Gary Fong collapsible lightsphere so I can control the light in my photos.  I'm still trying to get the hang of my 50mm lens which is a manual focus, but I think these photos (with the help of Photoshop) turned out really well.  Wishing anyone who reads this a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Brinkley

Chloe

Herc

NFL Football is BACK baby!

If you didn't already know, football is back.  My fantasy football team has been chosen, and my husband has been counting down the months, days, hours, and minutes until the Packers kicked off on opening day.  I just wanted you all to get a true realization of what I live through almost every Sunday.  I knew that the first touchdown by the Packers was going to be a big one in my house.  I decided to capture it on videotape and it is posted below.  It got a little tricky in the 3rd and 4th quarter because the Saints were making a comeback, but luckily the Packers prevailed.  This will be my life through next February.  Wish me luck!

I Learned A LOT Just By Attending 2 Pool Parties

What a weekend.  This weekend I witnessed some horrible parenting, drunkiness, and overall merriment with good friends and family.  Thanks to the horrible parenting fiasco, I learned what kind of father my husband will be.  A GOOD ONE!  To make a long story short, I saw an acquaintence (not a friend.... not then and especially not now) teach his 3-year old daughter how to yell and scream at a 2-year old girl.  He had her yell things like "get away from me" and "no!  don't come closer".  When I say yell, I mean he shouted these things at his daughter and in turn his daughter was screaming, crying, and shouting at a 2-year old.  (By the way, the 2-year old was just trying to play with the 3-year old, but ended up bursting into tears.)  To make matters even worse, this "Dad" pushed the two-year old away.  He didn't push her so she fell over. He took his index and middle fingers and forced them into the 2-year olds chest until she was pushed back.  What the $%&! is up with that!?  At this point I overcame my shock of what I was seeing, and took the 2-year old to her Mother.  The next day my husband told me he was so mad at himself for not kicking this guy and his soon to be bitch of a daughter out of the party.  The good news is the "dad" his daughter, wife, and son didn't stay very long.  Probably because of the chatter and looks they were getting.  Horrible horrible horrible.  

In addition to these shenanigans the Packers played their first pre-season game against the Cleveland Browns.  The first-string was in for almost the entire first quarter, so needless to say the game did not matter.  It didn't stop my hubby from recording it and then analyzing it.  Packers ended up losing but, again, I thank my lucky stars that the game didn't count and wasn't an example of things to come.

On to some good news.  Husband and I have been playing with my best friend's kids for the last week.  They're great practice for when we do decide that we want to have our own.  These two are the cutest and nicest kids ever.  The boy is 4 and the girl is 3.  The girl immediately attached herself to my husband.  They were having a blast in the pool.  They dove off the diving board together, made waves in the pool, were sharks and fish getting everyone else... it was adorable.  Husband has been pretty funny saying that he "doesn't know what to do with girls" and that "they scare" him.  I'm pretty sure he can't say those things anymore.  He was so great with her.  The 4-year old is incredible sweet and he was loving the pool.  Once he was brave enough to jump off the diving board there was no stopping him!  On Saturday I took a photography class with my girlfriend (she takes some amazing photos so make sure you check out her website - http://jenniferhalenphotography.blogspot.com/).  We learned how to use the light we have available to take photos.  I learned I need a flash, a cone to cover my flash, and a 50mm lens to really get my photography going.  I was just happy that with the equipment that I have I could take these photos:

Husband throwing the 3-year old into the air.  I think she's having fun!

No Photoshop work needed.  The water is blue and he looks spectacular!

Reason For My Blog Title

So I mentioned in my last blog that I am married to a crazy Packer fan.  Let's be honest... he is actually a crazy Wisconsin fan.  If the Packers, Brewers, or Badgers (football or basketball teams) are involved then he is watching.  Not only watching but he is interacting.  He will cheer, he will yell at the TV, he will scream what the players should be doing in addition to the player's names while the game is happening.  I'm pretty sure he doesn't realize that his lively emotional outbursts have ZERO effect on the game.  Jon Leuer cannot pick my husband out of a lineup.  Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Braun may be friends, but they don't know my husband.  My husband could walk up to both of them and say "Aaron, why didn't you throw it to James Jones rather than run it in... he was open!?" or "Ryan, your shirts are butt ugly but you have a great swing."  No matter how much I want Clay Matthews to know who I am, he won't know me because of my husband.  Growing up in a household where sports were not Gods, it was hard to adjust to this insanity.  But, to be honest, I like it.  I prefer the intensity when his teams are winning.  Then my house is really happy.  If his teams lose, well lets just say there is a mourning period where he won't speak to me. He sort of sulks around the house.  For example.... the Brewers are in NY right now playing the Yankees.  The Brew Crew had their asses handed to them one by one during the first two games.  My husband has been extremely cranky.  He isn't very chatty.... he's just moping around saying things like "why is Braun the only one who can hit?!"  All I want to do is get out of my house.  It's a miserable place to be when the Wisco teams lose.  This weekend we're mortal enemies.  The Diamondbacks are visiting the Cheese State this weekend for a 3 game series against the Brewers.  I am still a Diamondbacks fan.  I'm pretty sure my husband won't be speaking to me for 3 straight days.  Happy Fourth of July to me.

Some examples of the insanity:

Packers vs Cardinals at NFC Championship in AZ (please note I'm wearing red and not green.  He didn't talk to me the entire ride home).

My first game at Lambeau Field (Packers vs Bears in 2008)

Packers vs Bears 2008 (in November I might add)

This guy is at EVERY SINGLE PACKER GAME dressed just like this.

Coolest gnome ever.  It's in the basement of Packer Husband's best friend.

There is more than one crazy fan.  My husband is NOT wearing the overalls.

Obviously, this is the Super Bowl, and obviously, we needed our Aaron Rodgers WWE belts.

Packers were not playing well... Packer Husband is pacing.

Clay Matthews gets the Steelers to fumble the ball and the Packers have initially sealed the deal. Packers win in the end (Super Bowl Champs 2010)

My sister is a traitor (on right).  She jumped ship to join the Brew Crew when she saw how cute JJ Hardy was.  I wear Brewer stuff to Spring Training games (only).

Perk of living in AZ: spring training, perfect weather for a tube top, amazing bloody mary's, and husband gets to watch the Brewers live and in person.

I am sure I have more insane photos of my husband at sporting events, but I think you get the clue.  The only things he wears are blue and yellow, green and gold, or red.  If he's not wearing something in these colors then he must be at a wedding.  Oh, and I forgot to mention that I am wearing a Packers shirt WHILE I WRITE THIS BLOG ARTICLE!  He is starting to have an affect on me.... dammit.